welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. same-sex marriage has ignited a debate in countries around the world. today, it took stage at the british supreme court. at issue is whether a california band will be up held or struck down. for those outside the court, the symbolism goes much deeper. >> in glorious technicolor and provocative language, the culture wars are back. supporters and opponents of gay marriage facing off outside of the highest court. some had waited 4 days hoping to witness history from the inside. some argued. >> you are causing pain to people like joey harris. that is what you are doing.

>> opponents of gay marriage say all they are doing is defending a traditional way of life. sanctity see it is the of heterosexual marriage. >> marriage should be between a man and woman. that is the traditional way. it takes a man and woman to procreate. i just don't believe that men with men or women with women is the right way to go. >> i pronounced you legally married. >> they were tying the knot in washington last friday in what has become a common sight here. nationwide, public opinion has shifted to a clear majority of americans support same-sex marriage. >> 1 day, all of the intricacies happening at this moment in time will be in the history books just like i learned about civil war. >> it is imported for me to

affirm that i think that same sex couples should be able to get married. >> the president came out for gay marriage last year. others have followed. today, there was arguments about a 2008 referendum in california which led to a state ban a of a marriage. tomorrow, they will look at a federal law which denies benefits to same-sex marriage couples. to givel have definition and direction to a fast-changing society. what happens is not just that they go away or towards gay marriage but the scope of the ruling. it has been called a civil rights issue of our time but how broadly will the court ruled? how much of america will be affected? we should know by the end of june. >> strong opinions on both sides outside the u.s. supreme court today. for more on this case, i spoke

to an attorney for the two california couples who are challenging the ban. also the president of the human- rights campaign. from what you heard from the justices, did you get a sense of how they might rule? >> it played out just how i thought it would. you had a rush of questions. that is what they expected. it is hard to read what is going on. we felt good because my partner was able to make our points that children, a gay people are harmed by these discriminatory laws restricting them out from marriage. these marriages will not hurt anyone else he got all those points out. the justices on both sides. out upon it was not able to point to any harm and had no argument.

-- our opponent was not able to point to any harm and had no argument. >> their reaction was that the supreme court would not want to hear this case at all. >> we should wait to hear from what anyone justice says. sometimes the question asked is not where their heads are. we should wait and see where they are. what ted olson did was explain how these plaintiffs and the thousands of gay and lesbian couples are harmed in the state of california by proposition 8. he did that with the plaintiffs seeking in the court room. -- seated in the courtroom. sat in the court room. ted olson described that marriage is a fundamental right. >> you have been an attorney for many years. have you ever seen in issue in

which public opinion has shifted so much and so fast? over the last decade, there has been a 16. shift. >> have you seen this before? >> we have never seen anything like it. we have been physically the bonking the arguments that have been made. once we have a trial, cross- examining. they came over to our site and agreed with us that marriage equality would be better for america. today, they mentioned a health care decisions. there was more outcry about health care. there was concern in the public. here, we have public opinion supporting marriage equality. >> in a sense, isn't that relevant? this is not about public opinion. should the supreme court making their judgments based on what opinion polls tell us?

>> at the end of the day, it is a wonderful environment to be walking into court with the majority of americans favoring marriage equality. 80% of people under 30 supporting marriage equality. a majority of republicans, catholics. environment.tastic >> they have to rule on the law. >> you are right. a fundamental constitutional right is for all of our citizens regardless of public opinion or regardless of what state border one lives on. 9 justices will have to look at the evidence and the precedents of the u.s. constitution. i am cautiously optimistic. two incredible attorneys and these phenomenal plaintiffs. >> if the supreme court decides that they will throw this case out, what is the future for gay

and lesbian couples in america in terms of rights to marriage? >> i think it is wonderful. if the court was to throw this out saying there is no technical standing or if they said we don't want to hear it, decisionninth circuit would stand and there would be marriage equality. the evidence that we developed, no evidence on the other side. although law is developed clearly. i think the future is bright. this is a great thing for america. we think that now is the time because every day these restrictions are in place, people are getting hurt. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. inan issue moving fast public opinion and is now dealt with at the legal level parent of the highest court in italy has overturned the acquittal of amanda knox she spent four years in jail for

killing her british roommate, meredith kercher. she was freed on appeal after it was shown that the dna evidence was flawed. now there will be a new flock. new flaw. >> if she thought her italian nightmare was ending, she is wrong. she had appealed against her murder conviction and been acquitted. the highest court has just struck down the ruling. she must be tried again. a stunning setback for lawyers. >> it is a shocking decision. we go back to the case. already.hrough this we don't know what will be discussed. >> in a statement, she said that it was painful to receive the news. the prosecution's theory of my involvement in the murder, she said, had been repeatedly

revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair. if the ruling had been up held, they would have been upheld. if the court feels that this was handled badly by the judge. the family of the murder victim welcome to this. they think that the hunt for the truth must go on. these details had not been reviewed in this case. >> they were convicted back in 2009. she was given 26 years in jail. the prosecution said that they in ainvolved in a bugle -- brutal sex game that was wrong.

meredith kercher's body was found, her throat had been cut. one man is in jail for the murder. a drug dealer is serving 16 years. the prosecutors said that amanda knox and her former boyfriend work accomplices. when they were acquitted, they were released in jail. now, they must fight once more to try to prove their innocence. at the moment, there will be dismayed for amanda knox's supporters. the italians cannot force her to return. she could be tried in her absence. if she is ultimately convicted, italy could demand for extradition. americale believe that would send her back to face more than two decades behind bars. >> get ready to hear all the

details of that case all over again. a quick look at other news from around the world, the syrian opposition has been given the country seat at the arab league. they have used up its nt to call for more international support including more patriot missiles. at least 40 people have been killed in burma in clashes that began last wednesday. the violence was sparked by an argument between a buddhist couple and the muslim owners of a gold shot. this suggests that of the writing is going closer to iran during. is considering banning skype. the regulator would like my train of the services. if the companies do not comply, they will be shut down. the free services are hugely popular in saudi arabia. banks are still shocked in

cyprus. companies are finding it hard to carry out their day-to-day business. the day after the government had accepted a bailout, the chairman of the country's largest bank has resigned. it is not just investors feeling the pain, young cypriots are trying to come to terms with this as well. >> the dreams of the future have soured. they believed that opportunity jobs andre them, of prosperity, but now hardship beckons. the economy is in crisis. feel angry. there will not be places to work here. that is why i am here. >> our future is on the line. >> we are poor. we don't even have money. we don't even know if we can go to the university.

cypress needs them to stay. the fear is that they will simply leave, deprived of opportunities. that could mean a loss to generation. >> cyprus is mired in a recession that will now deep in. keep it in deal will the euro. in return, they will see savings hit. job losses will follow. controls will be in place once the banks open to stop the run on deposits. this man is feeling the effect. this shop has had a healthy trade. now, it is empty and may have to close. his business and country are at a standstill. there are no savings, no anything. i have to pay the salary.

i haven't. what can i do? >> hutaree it's are trying to understand what has happened to their country. riots are trying to understand. >> they're wondering how their economy will recover. you are watching "bbc world is america," still to come -- the hour is not quite what used to be for bric nations. parts of britain are struggling with unseasonably heavy snow and freezing conditions. roads are impassable, farmers are struggling to rescue stranded livestock. >> climbing up over vast drifts in search of their lost sheep, these farmers hope this is a rescue mission but they feared

it would turn into a body count. up to 700 of their sheep are missing. how hopeful are you are finding them alive? >> not too hopeful. they have probably suffocated. the snow is too deep to date. we will see if we can find any in a shallow draft. >> across the sea, some people are still cut off. this family has been trapped. >> i have never seen the like of this before. we are desperate. feet for the animals. >> a helicopter was being used to get power lines back up. back on the isle of man, we found some hope in one freezing field. .his is looking quite well

this has been repeated at farms across the aisle of man. volunteers giving up their time .o come and rescue livestock some of them needed help. inunder a lot of snow just air pockets. there is so much ground to cover. island community, strangers are offering a helping hand to assist those most in need. >> this week, representatives of brazil, russia, india, china, and south africa are meeting at a conference. together they represent 1/5 of global gdp and the discussions are strengthening their economic ties.

this marks a shift in global trade long dominated by the u.s. and europe. this is one of the many ways in which being in charge is not what it used to be. looking at the end of the era of the global superpower? >> yes. what these countries have in common is that they're large and fast-growing. the economic performance is something a share. constrain theo traditional power structures. europe and the u.s. needed to pay attention. these new countries face the same kinds of corrosion of their power. >> is that the problem with power, the downside is the endeth empires. >> exactly.

now the power is easier to get. much harder to wield, much more fast to list. power is more fleeting and transient. there are all kinds of constraints. power is far more constrained than ever . >> isn't the same amount of power wielded around the world? are you suggesting the end of power? sodomizedbecome more and is harder to use. there are many players in the periphery parent of the u.s. has to take into account china, brazil, india. at the rise of what are effectively super companies. google, yahoo!, apple.

it seems like we're getting companies that totally dominate even this market. >> that is true. that is a snapshot. give them 5 years or 10 years. ago, companies that reached the top of the industry were very very safe. now, that is no longer the case. now, they are earning a lot of money. they are getting fired more often than ever . >> the power lies in disruption and interference, not management and consolidation. you have mentioned companies, countries. is this true of other institutions? >> look at the catholic church. look at the pope and his predecessor . the have competitors. the catholic church is losing market share in the global

market for souls and for people that believe in the catholic church. in brazil come 90% of the country declared to be catholic. in 2010, only 65%. they are losing half a million catholics every year that is also happening in africa and in latin america. there are new powers that are competing and displacing the mega players. >> no more dc this then in the middle east. -- do you see this than in the middle east. it is time for the latest in our series looking at the impact of art. the u.s. education system has been focused on sciences, but the research shows that being exposed to the arts can help children do better in all subjects. even the likelihood that they will stay in school for logger .

we have been to the orchard gardens pilot school to see the results firsthand. >> it sounds like a script from a hollywood movie. take a failing school, introduce the performing arts, and you will see that transformation take place. of course, it is not quite that easy. 8 years ago, this was a very different school. violence was normal and children carried weapons. no teachers stayed for long. this was 1 of the troublemakers. he said, art has changed his life. now, he is winning awards for his paintings. >> they keep calm. whenever i get upset. i am tempted to draw. >> art became a focal point of the school 3 years ago when a new principle fired the security

guards and hired a art teachers. >> it made sense to go big, bold, and to do this all at once. if we're going to undergo a transformation, it made the most sense to tackle it altogether. >> 90% here live at or below the poverty line. some are homeless. now, they are part of a government program to test whether art education can make a difference. this is not about creating a great arts program, this is about using the arts as a tool for education. why does engage would appear to raise attendance, boost academic achievement, and even reduce behavior problems? researchers say they cannot prove that the arts alone are responsible. >> art integrated schools tend to have better outcomes than non art integrated schools. appraisal ofcandid

the research literature, i would wager that the schools that are with great leaders are more engaging places for students to be in. >> of all the arts, music is most likely to be taught in school. 6 million children, mostly minorities have no access to any arts education. ironically, they may be the children who need heart the most. >> before you think of pulling your child that a drawing or dance, and maybe it is worth thinking again. that brings the show to a) to remember, you can carry on updates around the world. if you would like to reach me

and the team, you can find us on twitter. for all of us, thank you so much for watching. due to an end tomorrow. -- >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, fidelity investments, union bank, and united healthcare. >> music is a universal language, but when i was in an accident, i was worried the health care system spoke a language all its own. with united healthcare, i got health that fit my life -- information on my phone, connection to doctors who get where i'm from, and tools to estimate what my care might cost. so i never miss a beat. >> more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 7 million americans. that is health in numbers. united healthcare. >> bbc world as was presented by kcet, los angeles.

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>> ifill: the supreme court considered the very definition of marriage in a challenge to a california law banning same sex marriage. good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, we have audio excerpts of today's arguments, reaction from both sides outside the court, a recap from marcia coyle, and our own debate. >> ifill: then, hari sreenivasan examines a spike in home prices, rising at the fastest pace since 2006. >> woodruff: margaret warner talks to npr's howard berkes about an investigation into dangerous working conditions in grain storage bins. >> ifill: spencer michels reports on the musicians' strike that's darkened concert halls from new york to san francisco. >> woodruff: and we close with the story of the women who worked in a top-secret town in tennessee during world war ii. ray suarez sits down with the author of "the girls of atomic city." >> jane, one of the women i

profile in the book, this is a very bright young woman who wanted to study engineering at the university of tennessee. no, i'm sorry. girl don't study that. she went on to be a statistician for the manhattan project. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive life.